The Justice Secretary has stepped in to block the planned transfer of Jimmy Mizen’s killer to an open prison, overturning a recommendation by the Parole Board and keeping the convicted murderer in closed conditions amid renewed public anger.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy confirmed on January 17, 2026, that Jake Fahri will not be moved to an open prison, citing public protection and the distress caused to the victim’s family. The decision follows intense criticism after Fahri’s activities while on licence became public.
Decision follows parole recommendation and public backlash
Earlier this month, the Parole Board had advised that Fahri should be transferred to open conditions, arguing that the lower-security environment could help him reflect on his behaviour and address concerns about honesty and accountability. Open prisons are typically reserved for inmates considered low risk and approaching reintegration, allowing greater freedom under strict licence conditions.
The recommendation sparked immediate backlash from the Mizen family and sections of the public. Fahri was recalled to prison in January 2025 after it emerged that, while on licence, he had been recording and releasing rap music under the alias Ten without informing his probation officer, breaching his release conditions.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the intervention was necessary because of the gravity of the original crime and the need to maintain confidence in the justice system, adding that public safety must remain the overriding priority.
Background of the case and renewed controversy
Jimmy Mizen was just 16 when he was killed on May 10, 2008, during an argument inside the Three Cooks Bakery on Burnt Ash Hill in south London. Fahri, then 19, threw a glass oven dish that shattered, with fragments severing an artery and Jimmy’s jugular vein. The teenager died at the scene in the arms of his older brother, Harry, on his birthday, shortly after heading out to buy his first lottery ticket.
Witnesses at the time told police that Fahri fled the bakery calmly, with one recalling that he appeared to be smiling as he walked away. In 2009, Fahri was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years.
After serving that minimum term, he was released on licence in June 2023. During that period, his music—some of which included violent imagery and references interpreted as alluding to the killing and his trial—circulated on platforms including Spotify, YouTube and BBC Radio 1Xtra. The BBC later said it had not been aware of his criminal history when the track was aired.
The controversy escalated when a newspaper investigation in January 2025 publicly identified Fahri as the artist behind the music. He was subsequently recalled to custody. A Parole Board summary later noted that Fahri initially denied being the rapper before admitting it, concluding that he had not been open with professionals supervising him and that his actions had caused additional distress to the Mizen family. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also referenced the family’s suffering at the time.
Jimmy’s mother, Margaret Mizen, said she was shocked by the recommendation to move Fahri to an open prison, expressing sadness that he had not changed since his trial, when she believes he lied under oath. She welcomed the Justice Secretary’s decision to block the transfer.
The family has spent years campaigning in Jimmy’s memory through the Mizen Foundation, which promotes forgiveness, peace and empowerment among young people. Both Margaret and her husband Barry were awarded MBEs in 2013 for their charitable work, though they have said the public exposure of Fahri’s music reopened deep wounds.
Fahri also briefly appeared in the public eye during his time on licence after being photographed with footballer Marcus Rashford, who later clarified that he did not know Fahri and routinely agrees to photos with fans without knowing their backgrounds.
With the Justice Secretary’s intervention, Fahri will remain in closed prison conditions. The case has once again highlighted tensions within the parole system between rehabilitation, public confidence and the lasting impact of violent crime on victims’ families.
